Associate Director Of Operations

Transformationscommunity; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 400 000 - 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A global nonprofit organization is seeking an Associate Director of Operations in Johannesburg. The role focuses on managing internal operations, including people operations and program management, while utilizing tools like ClickUp to optimize workflows. Strong leadership and project management skills are essential, as well as experience in using AI for efficiency improvements.

Qualifications

• Experience in leading hiring pipelines and team health initiatives.
• Ability to translate strategy into actionable plans with KPIs.
• Proficiency in managing project management tools like ClickUp.

Responsibilities

• Lead hiring and onboarding processes effectively.
• Translate strategies into quarterly and annual plans.
• Manage ClickUp architecture and ensure task relevance.

Skills

People Operations

Portfolio Management

Project Management

ClickUp

AI Tools

Tools

Google Workspace

Slack

Job description

About the Transformations Community A Global Commons for Transformative Change : The Transformations Community (TC) connects action‑researchers who combine inquiry with action—testing new approaches, sharing learning, and building capacity for just and sustainable futures.

With a global community of 6,+, we convene international conferences, publish widely, and support sustainability initiatives that link knowledge with practice.

Here is a video of our most recent gathering, TC25 in Johannesburg.

Role Overview

We're hiring a hands‑on Associate Director of Operations to own TC's internal operations end‑to‑end: people operations, portfolio / program management, project systems (ClickUp), fiscal coordination, and organizational rhythms.

You’ll turn strategy into clear plans, keep the trains running on time, and help a globally distributed team work smoothly—with smart use of AI tools to streamline workflows.

You’ll report to the Executive Director and partner closely with initiative leads.

This is a do‑and‑lead role: you’ll build light scaffolds, coordinate across programs, and step in directly where needed.

Responsibilities

1) People Operations & Team Health: Lead hiring pipelines, onboarding / off‑boarding, and contractor / consultant agreements.

Maintain role descriptions, SOWs, and a simple performance / feedback cycle.

Coordinate time tracking, capacity planning, and resourcing across initiatives.

Steward team norms (async practices, meeting hygiene, documentation, DEI & care).

2) Portfolio & Program Management: Translate strategy into quarterly / annual plans with milestones, owners, and KPIs.

Run portfolio reviews: risks, dependencies, budgets, and decision logs.

Stand up light monitoring & learning loops (retros, after‑action notes, dashboards).

Support initiative leads with scoping, critical paths, and go / no‑go gates.

3) Systems & Tooling (ClickUp Lead): Own ClickUp architecture (spaces, templates, automations, permissions).

Drive adoption, training, and QA so tasks / roadmaps stay current and useful.

Integrate Google Workspace, Slack, Docs, and basic CRM / email tools as needed.

Use AI assistants (e.g., templating, summaries, automations) to reduce busywork.

4) Finance & Admin (in coordination with fiscal sponsor / finance): Track budgets vs. actuals at project and portfolio levels; flag variances early.

Coordinate vendor onboarding, invoices, and